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Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Falwell believes gay kids should be forced into therapy

North Carolina Jerry Falwell compared allowing a child to identify as gay with allowing children to play on the interstate. Speaking at an ex-gay conference Falwell endorsed forcing gay kids into counseling designed to change their sexual orientation.
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

Court hears gay agent Rod Hall was killed in SM role play

Rod Hall, 53, the openly gay "gentle, caring and mild-mannered" literary agent behind the hit films "The Full Monty" and "Billy Elliot," was stabbed to death by Usman Durrani, 22, after being chained up in manacles in a sado-masochistic sex game. Prosecuting attorney Aftab Jafferjee said that Hall had recently split with his partner of 27 years and had taken to short-term relationships, meeting men apparently more interested in his money. Hall met his role-playing master Durrani online. Durrani has confessed to killing Hall, while denying that he is the murderer.
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

Gay fraternity Sigma Phi Beta set to go nationwide

Arizona Five years ago at Arizona State University, Sigma Phi Beta emerged to become the first national, collegiate-based gay fraternity organization and with the creation and adoption of a new national charter, gay frat loving college students can found new chapters at other campuses.
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

Azerbaijan opposition leader Ali Kerimli isn't gay

Azerbaijan Ali Kerimli, a top opposition leader, defended his track record as a heterosexual after accusing the oil-rich state\'s authorities of launching a gay smear campaign against him. "If anyone has doubts about my manliness, let them send me their wives and they will become convinced of my prowess for themselves."
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

Big Gay Out scores with Bananarama, loses with Babyshambles

London\'s Big Gay Out, one of the largest gay festivals in Europe, took place this past weekend with the likes of Frankie Goes To Hollywood performing, Human League, and if that wasn\'t enough of a blast from the past, after 13 years off the scene Bananarama, pictured, now a duo featuring Sarah Dallin and Keren Woodward, hit the stage as well. They have a new single being released soon too called "Move In My Direction," just in case you were wondering. Anyway, who wasn\'t there was Babyshambles. Big Gay Out organizers had insisted Pete Doherty would perform at the Finsbury Park event, but they scored themselves another no show. Rumor has it Doherty has sacked his bandmantes and no progress is even being made on the buzz band\'s debut album.
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

2400 gay couples have wed in Belgium

Belgium 2,442 same-sex couples have married in Belgium since same-sex marriages were legalized in September of 2003, according to the Interior Ministry. A total of 3 percent of all marriages in Belgium are now between partners of the same sex.
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

Lesbian Ashley Stinson forced from her Northern Ireland home

In Northern Ireland, lesbian Ashley Stinson says she\'s been forced from her home home saying she can\'t cope with the situation any longer and has been forced to move out following a series of attacks on her residence. "Ignorance, I would say, is a big part of it, if anybody is slightly different, people are afraid of them," Stinson said. Her mother\'s car had been attacked. A couple of nights later a fire was set in a trash can that burnt out the back of her home. The Fire Department put it out. On another night they went to a nightclub with a friend and left his car at her home. "We came back and his car was stole off the drive, smashed up and left across the street." Most recently her window was smashed out. Police figures have shown a steep increase in homophobic incidents in Northern Ireland.
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

Anthony Bryant can dance, masculinity not required

David told me about the recent events on "So You Think You Can Dance," the American Idol spin off show about dancers that is being shown on FOX. It seems that right out of the gate they eliminated Anthony, a very talented young dancer from New York. Why? Because he didn\'t dance "masculine" enough. As David said, "There is no place for the feminine male to shine when they start attacking dance." Indeed. Rickey said he was the highlight of the show and called his performance one of the most entertaining fifteen minutes ever.
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

Opposing gay marriage in Texas is bullshit

Dallas gay marriage activists announced their plans to begin mailing cow manure to senators who are in favor of placing a ban on gay marriage in Texas. Their website declares that they\'ve "begun shipping pink-painted cattle excrement" to 20 lawmakers and Republican Senators Kim Brimer of Fort Worth, Jane Nelson of Lewisville and Chris Harris of Arlington are on their "send poo" mailing list. Amanda McMurrey, spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Fort Worth, notes that, "Excrement, regardless of origin, is mailable only under certain conditions." Apparently a coat of pink paint isn\'t enough. McMurrey says they could face fines and a stay in federal prison. (Thanks Dan-X)
View more.... [Date: 26-Jul-05 ]

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Dr. Clifford Smyth comes out about his cross-dressing

UK historian Dr. Clifford Smyth announced that he\'s spent most of his life fighting the urge to wear women\'s clothing. The well-known unionist commentator wrote a frank and honest account of his interest in cross-dressing entitled, "Dealing With My Sexual Brokenness." And now Sunday Life has published an exclusive photo of Smyth\'s alter ego, "Deirdre Blanchflower," pictured, taken at a charity Christmas function in Belfast in 1993.
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

Transgender adolescents win right to block puberty

In Australia, five NSW adolescents won permission to undergo the first stage of gender-transitional treatment in NSW Family Court. In an application supported by family members, Dr. Louise Newman called for the use the hormones to delay pubertal changes because they would prove distressing and unacceptable to the child. Lawyer Rachael Wallbank, pictured, a transsexual herself, said she presented the Family Court with evidence that puberty-blockers were reversible and could save the child from self-harm or suicide.
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

Sun City cancels Lady Chablis show for being inappropriate

The Lady Chablis, made famous by the best-selling book and film "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," didn\'t know that her performance in Sun City had been cancelled. An official pulled the plug on the show saying her act wasn\'t suitable for the community. Robert Mahnke, who admitted he\'d never seen her act, blamed a breakdown in communication in his office for the show being advertised and for tickets being sold. "I don\'t understand how someone could make this decision when they haven\'t seen my show," The Lady Chablis said. "You wouldn\'t go to Saks 5th Avenue and buy a dress if you hadn\'t tried it on."
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

Latvian gay pride parade met with protest

The government said it wouldn\'t happen, but thanks to a court order the very first Gay Pride parade in Latvia was held this weekend in the capital of Riga. The marchers, however, were met by protesters hurling eggs and verbal abuse and as police surrounded the march to protect those taking part, a number of protesters were arrested. Police altered the planned route out of concern for the marchers safety, who were outnumbered by the homophobic opposition.
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

Big Brother 6 UK's Craig: 80% of everyone is bisexual

The latest queer antics on the UK\'s Big Brother 6 had Craig, pictured, insisting that 80% of people are bisexual. Kemal commented that he was originally bisexual with a "50-50" attraction to men and women, although now his preferences run 70% men, 30% women. Oddly, this fact surprised Craig - "I would personally not have thought you were bisexual at all," he said. Kemal responded, "It\'s not that I\'m repulsed by sleeping with a woman. I would sleep with a woman - I have slept with a woman. But I\'m more towards the gay side now." Craig copped to the fact that he\'s not bisexual at all, even though he hasn\'t said a word about his actual orientation.
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

Brownsville gay bar Heart Rock Club torched by arsonist

Arson is being blamed in Brownsville for a fire that basically totalled the Heart Rock Club, a gay nightclub that once proudly displayed a 25-foot gay pride flag over its doorway. It took nearly half a dozen fire trucks several hours to extinguish. Owners called it a hate crime directed against Brownsvilles gay community. What else could it be? owner Sylvia Armente said outside the club. First the inside of the club was vandalized and then the building was gutted by flames. Assistant Fire Chief Randy Russell said, They started fires in four or five little areas on the floor and on some furniture.
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

It's drag queen drivers education with Lady Una

UK In Buckley, North Wales, like a tattooed wonder woman Brian Jackson transforms himself into Lady Una to teach ladies how to drive at the B Jackson School of Motoring. "I have been going out dressed like this for years. Everybody in Buckley knows me," he said. "Young women anxious about being alone with a stranger find it comforting that I\'m gay."
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

Jai Rodriguez admits he's bisexual, Thom Filicia redesigns Sprecher

Following the recent rumor about Queer Eye\'s Jai Rodriguez having an eye for the ladies, now there are reports that he\'s learning all about typecasting. "I like girls, too," Rodriguez told the New York Daily News. "When I signed on to the show I didn\'t realize I was going to have to always be gay." Meanwhile, Thom Filicia\'s been busy giving Sprecher Brewing Co. a $100,000 makeover after winning the Today show\'s contest for the "ugliest office in America."
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

Transgendered Sandra Nason's 911 call transcript released

New York Recently I told you about the sad and bizarre tale of transgendered Sandra Nason sawing off her own foot, for the second time. Her 911 call transcript has been released.
View more.... [Date: 25-Jul-05 ]

Murder victim Robert Kissel had been surfing gay porn

According to travel records, American Nancy Kissel (pictured) and her three children went back to the United States in March 2003 to avoid the SARS outbreak, while her banker husband, Robert Kissel, stayed in Hong Kong for several days before going to Taiwan. Robert was murdered and Nancy\'s on trial for serving him a pink milkshake laced with sedatives and then beating him to death with a heavy metal ornament. Law enforcement has revealed that the deceased had been surfing gay porn sites and looking for sex while in HK. Nancy claimed he assaulted her while drunk after she refused him sex and that he disappeared prior to his body being found. Computer searches were made for "hot male sex\'" and "Taiwan escorts" while Nancy and the kids were away.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Standing while gay gets Jason Eng and friend $50 citations

Jason Eng got a $50 ticket for being in violation of a "no stopping or standing" in a fire zone sign. Trouble is, he was on foot talking with a friend in Hudson River Park. The pair had just disembarked from a thank-you cruise for gay pride volunteers. "It\'s so ridiculous that it\'s hilarious," said Eng, 25. "I can\'t believe this actually happened. There\'s no reason I should get a ticket. ... We were walking to the subway." Dennis Spafford, 27, an organizer with the Manhattan-based nonprofit group Heritage of Pride, was also cited. While they planned on fighting the charges, once the story hit the media it wasn\'t long before the charges were dismissed. (Thanks Aaron)
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Gay Games officially unwelcomed by GOP commissioners

Chicago The five Republicans on the Cook County Board of Commissioners have withdrawn their names from a proclamation welcoming the 2006 Gay Games to Chicago. "There\'s a big difference between tolerating and celebrating homosexuality," said GOP bigot Peter LaBarbera.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Carley and Bradford first gay couple married in Alberta

Alberta Keenan Carley and Robert Bradford became the first same-sex couple married in the province of Alberta. The Canadian bill legalizing gay unions became law throughout the nation at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Carley and Bradford rushed to an Edmonton registry as soon as they could.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Iran publicly hangs two young gay men

In Iran, mullahs\' henchmen publicly hanged two young boys in Mashhad. One was 18 and the other was a juvenile. Before the hanging the boys were each flogged 228 times while the executioners wore masks. The victims were charged with "disrupting public order" among other things and had been imprisoned for the past 14 months, thus they were both underage at the time of the alleged offenses. Exactly 24 hours prior to the start of negotiations between the mullahs representative and the European Union in London, the execution occured. The boys conviction for allegedly raping a 13-year-old boy at knifepoint has been decried by Outrage! as a smokescreen to justify killing gay men.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Lesbian couple attacked with a baseball bat

Missouri Two women were attacked by a bat-wielding woman because they are lesbians and one suffered a concussion as a result. The pair were walking and holding hands when the attack occurred.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Dick Faisauvale's gay panic defense fails, convicted of murder

Dick Faisauvale, the 18-year-old student told a jury he stabbed stamp collector Robert Hunt because he feared he was going to be raped. Hunt was stabbed 42 times. He died from loss of blood in his home. Pathologist Dr Jane Vuletic told the jury Hunt could have survived had he received medical treatment within an hour of the attack. The High Court at Auckland convicted Faisauvale and Justice Marion Frater remanded him in custody for sentencing in September. It also came out in the trial that Faisauvale had turned at least one gay trick for cash.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Gay man Garry Carriker charged with criminal HIV transmission

Atlanta Garry Wayne Carriker, 26, awaits trial on sex-crime charges that he knowingly gave other gay men HIV. Released on bond in March, he was arrested two more times on similar charges. Prosecutors have dusted off a rarely used Georgia law, charging him with felony reckless misconduct.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Gay Games officially unwelcomed by GOP commissioners Chicago: The five Republicans on the Cook County Board of Commissioners have withdrawn their names from a proclamation welcoming the 2006 Gay Games to Chicago. "There's a big difference between tolerating and celebrating homosexuality," said GOP bigot Peter LaBarbera.� [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Carley and Bradford first gay couple married in Alberta Alberta: Keenan Carley and Robert Bradford became the first same-sex couple married in the province of Alberta. The Canadian bill legalizing gay unions became law throughout the nation at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Carley and Bradford rushed to an Edmonton registry as soon as they could.� [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Iran publicly hangs two young gay men In Iran, mullahs' henchmen publicly hanged two young boys in Mashhad. One was 18 and the other was a juvenile. Before the hanging the boys were each flogged 228 times while the executioners wore masks. The victims were charged with "disrupting public order" among other things and had been imprisoned for the past 14 months, thus they were both underage at the time of the alleged offenses. Exactly 24 hours prior to the start of negotiations between the mullahs representative and the European Union in London, the execution occured. The boys conviction for allegedly raping a 13-year-old boy at knifepoint has been decried by Outrage! as a smokescreen to justify killing gay men. � [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Lesbian couple attacked with a baseball bat Missouri: Two women were attacked by a bat-wielding woman because they are lesbians and one suffered a concussion as a result. The pair were walking and holding hands when the attack occurred. � [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Dick Faisauvale's gay panic defense fails, convicted of murder Dick Faisauvale, the 18-year-old student told a jury he stabbed stamp collector Robert Hunt because he feared he was going to be raped. Hunt was stabbed 42 times. He died from loss of blood in his home. Pathologist Dr Jane Vuletic told the jury Hunt could have survived had he received medical treatment within an hour of the attack. The High Court at Auckland convicted Faisauvale and Justice Marion Frater remanded him in custody for sentencing in September. It also came out in the trial that Faisauvale had turned at least one gay trick for cash.� [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Gay newspapers are not obscene, can stay in libraries

Ohio Gay Peoples Chronicle and Outlook Weekly can continue to be distributed at libraries thanks to a ruling that the papers are not obscene. But a separate legal opinion by the Franklin County prosecutors office says that all free publications could be removed from the lobbies and put behind a counter.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Hemel Hempstead gay bashing leaves man in intensive care

UK A Hemel Hempstead man was left battling for his life in intensive care after a vicious beating by a gang of five men in a suspected homophobic attack. Two of the gang are believed to have been armed with sticks.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

First gay pride parade in Latvia under fire

Latvia The first gay pride parade in Latvia, set to take place in the capital of Riga this weekend, has drawn fierce criticism from the right-wing and even threats of a blockade by nationalist groups. Riga\'s city executive director promised to revoke the participants parade permit.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Oregon gay civil unions bill gutted by House leaders

Oregon House Republican leaders, seeking to ensure the demise of a Senate-passed civil unions bill for same-sex couples, gutted the measure and replaced it with a "reciprocal benefits" alternative. House Speaker Karen Minnis previously said she had no intention of allowing a House vote on the Senate bill to open up to same-sex couples hundreds of benefits only available to married couples.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Lady Bunny frowns on fashion, disses Dubya

Matthew Hays interviewed Wigstock wonder woman Lady Bunny, who will be appearing as part of Montreal\'s Divers/Cit line-up, and she let the fur fly about fashion and Dubya. "I think fashion itself has gone out of fashion. In today\'s shaky economy, who the hell can afford to buy a $500 belt which will be out of style in a year? The world is falling apart. Why not donate the $500 to some organization like moveon.org that\'s trying to stop the monster George Bush?" So what\'s on her wishlist while she\'s in Montreal? "How about a donkey-dicked, uncut, French stud? Of course, I love the dark ones that have a little Moroccan in them. I\'ve had a little Moroccan in me as well!" I\'m sure you have Bunny, I\'m sure you have.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Gay newspapers are not obscene, can stay in libraries

Ohio Gay Peoples Chronicle and Outlook Weekly can continue to be distributed at libraries thanks to a ruling that the papers are not obscene. But a separate legal opinion by the Franklin County prosecutors office says that all free publications could be removed from the lobbies and put behind a counter.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Oregon gay civil unions bill gutted by House leaders

Oregon House Republican leaders, seeking to ensure the demise of a Senate-passed civil unions bill for same-sex couples, gutted the measure and replaced it with a "reciprocal benefits" alternative. House Speaker Karen Minnis previously said she had no intention of allowing a House vote on the Senate bill to open up to same-sex couples hundreds of benefits only available to married couples.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Lady Bunny frowns on fashion, disses Dubya

Matthew Hays interviewed Wigstock wonder woman Lady Bunny, who will be appearing as part of Montreal\'s Divers/Cit line-up, and she let the fur fly about fashion and Dubya. "I think fashion itself has gone out of fashion. In today\'s shaky economy, who the hell can afford to buy a $500 belt which will be out of style in a year? The world is falling apart. Why not donate the $500 to some organization like moveon.org that\'s trying to stop the monster George Bush?" So what\'s on her wishlist while she\'s in Montreal? "How about a donkey-dicked, uncut, French stud? Of course, I love the dark ones that have a little Moroccan in them. I\'ve had a little Moroccan in me as well!" I\'m sure you have Bunny, I\'m sure you have.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Lesley Gore comes out as a lesbian

Lesley Gore comes out as a lesbian Sixties teen idol Lesley Gore has come out of the closet. Yep, the recording artist who scored with such megahits as "It\'s My Party (I\'ll Cry If I Want To)" and "You Don\'t Own Me" told After Ellen, "I have a partner of 23 years and I have a cocker spaniel ... named after Billie Holiday, one of my favorite singers. And I thought, you know, a little gender confusion makes a better person. A little adversity in life at an early age. Its character building." As for lesbian life back then Gore says, "there was very little acceptance of gay people. I think the record industry, by and large whats left of it, is still totally homophobic.
View more.... [Date: 23-Jun-05 ]

Gay director Pedro Almodovar receives Bunuel's Razor award

Gay director Pedro Almodovar receives Bunuel&#39;s Razor award Gay Spanish film writer/director Pedro Almodovar has finally gotten recognition for his work at home. Having achieved critical acclaim all over the map, Spain finally honored him with the Bunuels Razor award for best Spanish movie of 2004. He picked up his trophy from All About My Mother\'s Penelope Cruz who is also set to star in his new film "Volver" with fellow alumni star Carmen Maura. He said, "This award is significant and important because it is the only one that I have received in Spain for Bad Education."
View more.... [Date: 24-Jun-05 ]

June Lo becomes New York City's first transsexual cop

June Lo becomes New York City&#39;s first transsexual cop Queens police officer John Lo informed the New York Police Department that she\'ll be having a sex change, making her the first known transsexual cop in New York City - Officer June Lo. "Everyone\'s been very supportive, and I\'m very happy about it. It\'s taken courage, but I\'m very pleased," Lo told The Post. Lo made the announcement during a roll call of Queens Transit Task Force cops.
View more.... [Date: 24-Jun-05 ]

Gender bending Azis runs for Bulgarian parliament

Gender bending Azis runs for Bulgarian parliament Bulgarians are preparing to vote in Saturday\'s parliamentary elections and gender bending singing star Azis is running for office. Azis, also known as Vassil Boyanov, is the cross-dressing male folk singer who simulates sexual acts with men onstage. He has a strong following among Bulgarian gypsies. I\'m betting he\'ll do well. He was recently elected honorary chairman of the Bulgarian political party.
View more.... [Date: 24-Jun-05 ]

Gay marriage legalized in New Brunswick

Gay marriage legalized in New Brunswick A New Brunswick court ruling has made same-sex marriage legal in the Canadian province, at least temporarily. Court of Queen\'s Bench Justice Judith Clendening ruled that common-law marriage was the union of "two persons" - not a man and a woman. Brad Green, New Brunswick\'s justice minister, told reporters: "What the court has said here in New Brunswick is that the traditional definition of marriage is no longer the law, that any two individuals can get married." The court gave the province 10 days to make any necessary administrative changes. Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Prince Edward Island are now the only jurisdictions where same-sex marriages aren\'t the law in Canada.
View more.... [Date: 24-Jun-05 ]

Murder victim Robert Kissel had been surfing gay porn

According to travel records, American Nancy Kissel (pictured) and her three children went back to the United States in March 2003 to avoid the SARS outbreak, while her banker husband, Robert Kissel, stayed in Hong Kong for several days before going to Taiwan. Robert was murdered and Nancy\'s on trial for serving him a pink milkshake laced with sedatives and then beating him to death with a heavy metal ornament. Law enforcement has revealed that the deceased had been surfing gay porn sites and looking for sex while in HK. Nancy claimed he assaulted her while drunk after she refused him sex and that he disappeared prior to his body being found. Computer searches were made for "hot male sex\'" and "Taiwan escorts" while Nancy and the kids were away.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Standing while gay gets Jason Eng and friend $50 citations

Jason Eng got a $50 ticket for being in violation of a "no stopping or standing" in a fire zone sign. Trouble is, he was on foot talking with a friend in Hudson River Park. The pair had just disembarked from a thank-you cruise for gay pride volunteers. "It\'s so ridiculous that it\'s hilarious," said Eng, 25. "I can\'t believe this actually happened. There\'s no reason I should get a ticket. ... We were walking to the subway." Dennis Spafford, 27, an organizer with the Manhattan-based nonprofit group Heritage of Pride, was also cited. While they planned on fighting the charges, once the story hit the media it wasn\'t long before the charges were dismissed. (Thanks Aaron)
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Gay Games officially unwelcomed by GOP commissioners

Chicago The five Republicans on the Cook County Board of Commissioners have withdrawn their names from a proclamation welcoming the 2006 Gay Games to Chicago. "There\'s a big difference between tolerating and celebrating homosexuality," said GOP bigot Peter LaBarbera.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Carley and Bradford first gay couple married in Alberta

Alberta Keenan Carley and Robert Bradford became the first same-sex couple married in the province of Alberta. The Canadian bill legalizing gay unions became law throughout the nation at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Carley and Bradford rushed to an Edmonton registry as soon as they could.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Iran publicly hangs two young gay men

In Iran, mullahs\' henchmen publicly hanged two young boys in Mashhad. One was 18 and the other was a juvenile. Before the hanging the boys were each flogged 228 times while the executioners wore masks. The victims were charged with "disrupting public order" among other things and had been imprisoned for the past 14 months, thus they were both underage at the time of the alleged offenses. Exactly 24 hours prior to the start of negotiations between the mullahs representative and the European Union in London, the execution occured. The boys conviction for allegedly raping a 13-year-old boy at knifepoint has been decried by Outrage! as a smokescreen to justify killing gay men.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Lesbian couple attacked with a baseball bat

Missouri Two women were attacked by a bat-wielding woman because they are lesbians and one suffered a concussion as a result. The pair were walking and holding hands when the attack occurred.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Dick Faisauvale's gay panic defense fails, convicted of murder

Dick Faisauvale, the 18-year-old student told a jury he stabbed stamp collector Robert Hunt because he feared he was going to be raped. Hunt was stabbed 42 times. He died from loss of blood in his home. Pathologist Dr Jane Vuletic told the jury Hunt could have survived had he received medical treatment within an hour of the attack. The High Court at Auckland convicted Faisauvale and Justice Marion Frater remanded him in custody for sentencing in September. It also came out in the trial that Faisauvale had turned at least one gay trick for cash.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Gay newspapers are not obscene, can stay in libraries

Ohio Gay Peoples Chronicle and Outlook Weekly can continue to be distributed at libraries thanks to a ruling that the papers are not obscene. But a separate legal opinion by the Franklin County prosecutors office says that all free publications could be removed from the lobbies and put behind a counter.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Hemel Hempstead gay bashing leaves man in intensive care

UK A Hemel Hempstead man was left battling for his life in intensive care after a vicious beating by a gang of five men in a suspected homophobic attack. Two of the gang are believed to have been armed with sticks.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

First gay pride parade in Latvia under fire

Latvia The first gay pride parade in Latvia, set to take place in the capital of Riga this weekend, has drawn fierce criticism from the right-wing and even threats of a blockade by nationalist groups. Riga\'s city executive director promised to revoke the participants parade permit.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Oregon gay civil unions bill gutted by House leaders

Oregon House Republican leaders, seeking to ensure the demise of a Senate-passed civil unions bill for same-sex couples, gutted the measure and replaced it with a "reciprocal benefits" alternative. House Speaker Karen Minnis previously said she had no intention of allowing a House vote on the Senate bill to open up to same-sex couples hundreds of benefits only available to married couples.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Lady Bunny frowns on fashion, disses Dubya

Matthew Hays interviewed Wigstock wonder woman Lady Bunny, who will be appearing as part of Montreal\'s Divers/Cit line-up, and she let the fur fly about fashion and Dubya. "I think fashion itself has gone out of fashion. In today\'s shaky economy, who the hell can afford to buy a $500 belt which will be out of style in a year? The world is falling apart. Why not donate the $500 to some organization like moveon.org that\'s trying to stop the monster George Bush?" So what\'s on her wishlist while she\'s in Montreal? "How about a donkey-dicked, uncut, French stud? Of course, I love the dark ones that have a little Moroccan in them. I\'ve had a little Moroccan in me as well!" I\'m sure you have Bunny, I\'m sure you have.
View more.... [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

First gay pride parade in Latvia under fire Latvia: The first gay pride parade in Latvia, set to take place in the capital of Riga this weekend, has drawn fierce criticism from the right-wing and even threats of a blockade by nationalist groups. Riga's city executive director promised to revoke the participants parade permit.� [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Oregon gay civil unions bill gutted by House leaders Oregon: House Republican leaders, seeking to ensure the demise of a Senate-passed civil unions bill for same-sex couples, gutted the measure and replaced it with a "reciprocal benefits" alternative. House Speaker Karen Minnis previously said she had no intention of allowing a House vote on the Senate bill to open up to same-sex couples hundreds of benefits only available to married couples.� [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Lady Bunny frowns on fashion, disses Dubya Matthew Hays interviewed Wigstock wonder woman Lady Bunny, who will be appearing as part of Montreal's Divers/Cit line-up, and she let the fur fly about fashion and Dubya. "I think fashion itself has gone out of fashion. In today's shaky economy, who the hell can afford to buy a $500 belt which will be out of style in a year? The world is falling apart. Why not donate the $500 to some organization like moveon.org that's trying to stop the monster George Bush?" So what's on her wishlist while she's in Montreal? "How about a donkey-dicked, uncut, French stud? Of course, I love the dark ones that have a little Moroccan in them. I've had a little Moroccan in me as well!" I'm sure you have Bunny, I'm sure you have.� [Date: 22-Jul-05 ]

Friday, July 22, 2005

Mexico City gay former priests now preach tolerance Mexico: Mexico City's Steven Parelli and Jos Ortiz were evangelical ministers trying desperately to "cure" their being gay. Now they're a couple devoted to fighting the claim that being gay is a sin. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Nike barraged with homophobic hate mail Oregon: Nike has been barraged by e-mail critical of the company's support for same-sex civil unions. The American Family Association of Tupelo, Mississippi, has organized the intimidation.� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

One third of California gay couples include at least one Hispanic California: A third of all state same-sex couples include at least one Hispanic, according to a UCLA study. In addition, more Hispanic same-sex couples raise children than straight couples of other ethnicities.� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

More Canadians want gay marriage Canada: A new poll shows 55% of Canadians don't want politicians to undo same-sex marriage legislation, despite a promise from Conservatives that they would repeal the bill. Only 39% said they want to see Bill C-38 repealed. 6% said they didn't know. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Robert Traynham, Santorum's top aide, comes out gay The senior spokesman for majorly homophobic Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum confirmed this weekend that he is gay. Robert Traynham, Director of Communications, said that he was an "out gay man who completely supports the senator," which actually makes him one truly self-loathing individual. Santorum has repeatedly spoken out against gay rights of any kind and has been a leader in placing a ban on same-sex marriage nationally. Responding to the news on Traynham Santorum said:� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Ralph Fiennes goes gay again in Doris and Bernard According to Variety, it looks like we're going to see British actor Ralph Fiennes playing gay again this year. After his performance in Chromophobia, directed by his sister Martha, Fiennes and Susan Sarandon are currently working out the details to star in Doris and Bernard, the film based on the life of tobacco billionairess Doris Duke and her relationship with her gay butler, Bernard Lafferty. Penned by Hugh Costello, the story's focus is really on Duke's relationship with Lafferty, to whom she left her entire fortune. Shooting is scheduled to begin this October in New York with Bob Balaban directing. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Virginia really is for haters Chris wanted to convince his family that Virginia wasn't where they should be going on their little vacation. Unable to find the evidence for himself, he wrote me asking for some online guidance. I told him about virginiaisforhaters.org, only we discovered in the process that the site is no longer online. The site went up right after Virginia passed the most restrictive anti-gay marriage legislation in the country. Where did it go? Apparently it was forced offline "by unknown anti-gay groups." They apparently suffered not one but two denial-of-service attacks. Crazy, eh?Anyway, Chris did have some good words for Queer Day too: "Keep up the good fight -- despite living in the quasi-homosexual bubble of Manhattan, Queerday is the best place for me to get news from around the country (and world)." Thanks Chris!� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

More Canadians want gay marriage Canada: A new poll shows 55% of Canadians don't want politicians to undo same-sex marriage legislation, despite a promise from Conservatives that they would repeal the bill. Only 39% said they want to see Bill C-38 repealed. 6% said they didn't know. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

More Canadians want gay marriage Canada: A new poll shows 55% of Canadians don't want politicians to undo same-sex marriage legislation, despite a promise from Conservatives that they would repeal the bill. Only 39% said they want to see Bill C-38 repealed. 6% said they didn't know. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Mysterious Skin may be banned in Australia Mysterious Skin, the new film by Gregg Araki, pictured, hasn't generated any controversy anywhere, but it may end up being banned in Australia. "I am very surprised," Araki said. "The fact (is) that the film has opened already in so many other countries with no incident, no problem with censorship or anything." The film, classified R18+, was referred to the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification after a complaint by federal Attorney General Philip Ruddock with origin of the complaints tracing back to the Australian Family Association.� [Date: 21-Jul-05 ]

Japan court nixes prison for transsexual because she%#39;s transitioned Japan: The Osaka High Court overturned a prison sentence for a transsexual using drugs, giving her a suspended term believing that now that she's had her sex change and gotten married she can rehabilitate. � [Date: 21-Jul-05 ]

Navarasa weaves an Indian transgender tale Transwomen in India believe they are the reincarnation of Lord Krishna, even if others won't even consider them to be human beings. Film director Santosh Sivan has put his award-winning skills and vision into "Navarasa" (Nine Emotions) to see the "third gender" become accepted, a combined feature/documentary with "real transvestites" in leading roles. In the film, a little girl (Best Child Actress National Award winner Swetha) discovers Uncle Gautum's secret life - man by day, woman by night. When he runs away to get married at the Koovagam festival, she sets out to save him.� [Date: 21-Jul-05 ]

Pomona City Council to limit transgender restroom rights California: A proposed Pomona City Council ordinance clarifies that only small children, caregivers, and legally recognized transgender individuals can enter public restrooms meant for the opposite sex.� [Date: 21-Jul-05 ]

More Canadians want gay marriage Canada: A new poll shows 55% of Canadians don't want politicians to undo same-sex marriage legislation, despite a promise from Conservatives that they would repeal the bill. Only 39% said they want to see Bill C-38 repealed. 6% said they didn't know. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Canadian Senate legalizes gay marriage The Canadian Senate voted to legalize gay marriage nationwide late Tuesday night! The bill, which grants same-sex couples the same equal rights as heterosexuals to those could be signed into law as early as Wednesday. The bill grants same-sex couples the same legal rights, even though gay marriage has already been legalized in most Canadian provinces. The legislation drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party government easily passed the Senate, 47-21. The bill becomes law when it is signed by Canada's Governor-General. Once that happens, Canada will become only the fourth country in the world to legalize gay marriage nationwide, along with the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.� [Date: 20-Jul-05 ]

Navratilova settles Rainbow Card suit over depraved programming Is Martina Navratilova a prude or an opportunist? You decide. She's settled her lawsuit against Do Tell Inc., filed because she didn't like the way their Rainbow Card was being marketed with "The L Word" and "Queer As Folk," shows she called "depraved." In late 2004 she asked Do Tell to stop using her image. Terms of the settlement were not released. Navratilova was seeking at least $75,000 in damages. � [Date: 21-Jul-05 ]

Richard Brunstrom not reprimanded for calling us queer Richard Brunstrom, pictured, the top cop of North Wales, is not being disciplined for his use of the word "queer." Obviously Queer Day has no problem with it, but the Gay Police Association was shocked and disappointed that he would use such an "abusive and insulting term." Brunstrom's record of tackling discrimination was used as the primary reasoning behind the lack of reprimand. He also apologized instantly for using what he described as "an inappropriate word."� [Date: 21-Jul-05 ]

Aussie National Day of Action for gay marriage August 13 Australia's Socialist Alliance, NSW Community Action Against Homophobia and Australian Marriage Equality are calling for a national day of action on August 13, 2005, the one year anniversary of the Australian ban on same-sex marriage. Activists will rally to demand the federal government repeal the ban same-sex marriage and institutes marriage rights for all. Rachel Evans says, "there will be a rally in every capital city except Darwin. The last truly national day of action around queer rights was 1984. We are making history!"� [Date: 21-Jul-05 ]

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Ronnie Paris Jr. beat his son to death to prevent him from being gay Ronnie Paris Jr. repeatedly abused his 3-year-old son, Ronnie Antonio Paris, pictured, in an effort to prevent the child from becoming gay - that is until the boy slipped into a coma and ultimately died. The child would shake, wet himself and vomit as Paris forced him into a box and repeatedly slapped him according to testimony from the boy's mother, Nysheerah Paris. The child died from swelling on both sides of the brain. "He was trying to teach him how to fight," the boy's aunt, Shanita Powell, told the court. "He was concerned that the child might be gay." � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Virginia really is for haters Chris wanted to convince his family that Virginia wasn't where they should be going on their little vacation. Unable to find the evidence for himself, he wrote me asking for some online guidance. I told him about virginiaisforhaters.org, only we discovered in the process that the site is no longer online. The site went up right after Virginia passed the most restrictive anti-gay marriage legislation in the country. Where did it go? Apparently it was forced offline "by unknown anti-gay groups." They apparently suffered not one but two denial-of-service attacks. Crazy, eh?Anyway, Chris did have some good words for Queer Day too: "Keep up the good fight -- despite living in the quasi-homosexual bubble of Manhattan, Queerday is the best place for me to get news from around the country (and world)." Thanks Chris!� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Virginia really is for haters Chris wanted to convince his family that Virginia wasn't where they should be going on their little vacation. Unable to find the evidence for himself, he wrote me asking for some online guidance. I told him about virginiaisforhaters.org, only we discovered in the process that the site is no longer online. The site went up right after Virginia passed the most restrictive anti-gay marriage legislation in the country. Where did it go? Apparently it was forced offline "by unknown anti-gay groups." They apparently suffered not one but two denial-of-service attacks. Crazy, eh?Anyway, Chris did have some good words for Queer Day too: "Keep up the good fight -- despite living in the quasi-homosexual bubble of Manhattan, Queerday is the best place for me to get news from around the country (and world)." Thanks Chris!� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

More Canadians want gay marriage Canada: A new poll shows 55% of Canadians don't want politicians to undo same-sex marriage legislation, despite a promise from Conservatives that they would repeal the bill. Only 39% said they want to see Bill C-38 repealed. 6% said they didn't know. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Thailand to offer free HIV drugs to all Thailand: Thailands government announced that starting in October no person in the country with HIV will go without antiretroviral drugs. This makes them the first country in the world to guarantee the drugs to all patients - for free. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Exclusive Brethren behind Canadian gay marriage ban campaign The Vancouver Sun has learned that the secretive religious sect known as the Exclusive Brethren is behind an aggressive yet anonymous direct-mail and advertising campaign against gay marriage that has triggered complaints in Parliament and in the media. The sect which shuns relationships with non-members and requires women to wear head scarves in public, organized and funded the campaign. The campaign's sponsors identify themselves in the anti-gay ads and mail-outs only as "concerned Canadian parents," or CCP, with a post office box address located in a Toronto convenience store. Their meeting rooms, pictured, have no windows.� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

More Canadians want gay marriage Canada: A new poll shows 55% of Canadians don't want politicians to undo same-sex marriage legislation, despite a promise from Conservatives that they would repeal the bill. Only 39% said they want to see Bill C-38 repealed. 6% said they didn't know. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Annie Lennox often wishes she were gay Annie Lennox may be the unsung female ambassador of the music industry. Next month she's going to Ethiopia as part of her AIDS campaign. The last time she did any interviews was for her album, Bare, which she wrote following the end of her second marriage in 2000. A notoriously private woman, Lennox recently revealed, "The air that we breathe is steeped in the idea that we need a man to be happy. I believed that," she says. "I am such a romantic. The idea that the knight rescues the damsel is so deep inside me. But now I think it's exceedingly misleading. ... I love masculinity. Unfortunately, I'm terribly heterosexual. Sometimes I wish I could have been gay; perhaps it would have been easier."� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Lessons in Navigating Bisexual Lives Relationships can be difficult enough to navigate even when they're relatively simple to decipher. Last night I was watching an Italian film called "Le Fate Ignoranti," (pictured) which translates to mean "Ignorant Fairies" for those who are curious, and that's probably why they retitled the film as "His Secret Life" for American audiences. Anyway, this woman loses her husband in a tragic accident and in her grief discovers that her husband had a secret male lover for the past seven years. Object Lesson 1: Avoid those pesky navigational complexities by using the ancient tool known locally as dishonesty. For the record, the wife and the lover wind up becoming friends.This weekend, while hooping with friends in Berkeley, I met a woman whose been married to her husband for twenty years, who later on confessed that she's currently involved in a quad. Asking her about it and the dynamics of her chosen love life she explaind that no one had ever planned it that way, that a third arrived in their lives, and then a fourth. Object Lesson 2: Approach everything openly and honestly with your chosen partner(s). Her advice for me was relatively common sense, although tidbits that can so easily go ignored, tips like "communication is essential," "i have to actively work on being present for it all on a daily basis," and "ultimately relationships are never really ours to begin with, are they?"� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

South African police open fire on peaceful HIV treatment protest South Africa: Queenstown police opened fire using rubber bullets and tear gas on a peaceful demonstration that protested delays in rolling out antiretroviral HIV treatments. Ten were treated for gunshot wounds and forty were injured.� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Korean girl kidnapped and tortured by teenage lesbians Korean Police have issued an arrest warrant for six teenage lesbians on charges of confining and robbing a woman they met online and torturing her for a month. Having met "Cho" through a lesbian website, they locked her up in a room in Dalseo-gu, Daegu city from June 2 until July 5, reportedly because they were angry Cho had recently started seeing another woman. They also subjected her to regular beatings with wounds so severe they're expected to take 12 weeks to heal. Over $600 was also stolden and they demanded more - or they'd hand her over to a pimp. Cho approached a loan shark who saw her bruises and informed the police. (via Greg)� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Cambodian lesbian teen Yeat Kunthea kills grandmother for love In Phnom Penh, Cambodian teenage lesbian Yeat Kunthea, 18, bludgeoned her grandmother to death with a rock at the urging of her lesbian lover (Huong Leangcheng, 19). Grandma Lim Veng, 74, discovered their relationship and tried to put an end to it. Seng Sokim, vice chief of police in the northeastern province of Kompong Cham, said Veng's body was found in a rice field with severe head injuries. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Bisexual comic Margaret Cho talks about her drug problem, eating disorder It seems bisexual comic and activist Margaret Cho had a hell of a time with "All American Girl," the TV sitcom that was to be her big break. Just before filming TV executives told her to lose weight. They didn't like the "fullness" of her face. Devastated and determined, Cho lost the pounds, only to end up in the hospital with kidney failure and an eating disorder. Her fliration with diet pills escalated into a raging crystal meth habit. � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Arkansas gay night club Studio 716 destroyed by fire Arkansas: In Fayetteville, a fire destroyed Studio 716, a local gay night club. A joint investigation between the Police Department and the Fire Marshal's Office is underway and the fire has been listed as suspicious.� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Lesbian activist Fannyann Eddy's killer has escaped The man being held for the brutal murder of Sierra Leonean lesbian activist Fannyann Eddy has escaped from custody. Sankoh, 19, was being held while awaiting trial in the High Court of Freetown. It appears that an undisclosed number of other prisoners escaped as well, leading to the belief that the event was most likely a matter of circumstance, rather than anything specifically related to Sankoh or Eddy. Within the last few months there were consistent postponements of the legal proceedings against Sankoh.� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Lesbian bar bomber Eric Rudolph sentenced to life withour parole Confessed serial bomber Eric Rudolph was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today for the deadly 1998 bombing at a Birmingham, Alabama, women's clinic. Rudolph avoided the death penalty with a plea agreement, pleading guilty to four bombings in the South that killed two people and wounded more than 100 between 1996 and 1998. His second was at an Atlanta lesbian nightclub called The Otherside Lounge where four people were wounded. A second bomb at the bar was found by police and defused it went off.� [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

South African gay couple targeted by local hate groups South Africa: In Johannesburg, married gay couple Vernon Gibbs and UK IT millionaire Tony Halls opened their farm, Arendhoogte, to gay tourists. Now they're being targeted by vandals, church dominees and the "boere mafia." � [Date: 19-Jul-05 ]

Right wing terrorism here at home Here's some interesting and rather scary terrorist news. In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by antigovernment militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

The Emmy nominations are so gay! The Emmy nominations have been announced in and I can't help but wonder if they could be any queerer. Will & Grace racked up 15 freakin' nominations, and gay creator Marc Cherry's Desperate Housewives did the same, pictured left. While Debra Messing didn't get a nomination this year, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally did - and Messing was most likely denied because Housewives was also running amuck: Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman were nominated - while Eva Longoria was not. And there were nominations for Queer Day favorite Nip/Tuck too, as well as The L Word, Six Feet Under, Lackawanna Blues...� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Gay pride returns to Montgomery Alabama: Montgomery will have its first gay pride festival in years this weekend. The Montgomery Gay and Lesbian Association, which was formed last fall, is hosting the festival along with Equality Alabama.� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Right wing terrorism here at home Here's some interesting and rather scary terrorist news. In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by antigovernment militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

The Emmy nominations are so gay! The Emmy nominations have been announced in and I can't help but wonder if they could be any queerer. Will & Grace racked up 15 freakin' nominations, and gay creator Marc Cherry's Desperate Housewives did the same, pictured left. While Debra Messing didn't get a nomination this year, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally did - and Messing was most likely denied because Housewives was also running amuck: Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman were nominated - while Eva Longoria was not. And there were nominations for Queer Day favorite Nip/Tuck too, as well as The L Word, Six Feet Under, Lackawanna Blues...� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Gay pride returns to Montgomery Alabama: Montgomery will have its first gay pride festival in years this weekend. The Montgomery Gay and Lesbian Association, which was formed last fall, is hosting the festival along with Equality Alabama.� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Current views Tivo recently arrived at our house, the same time as one of the housemates decided to expand our lives with a full-on premium cable package. Needless to say life on Haight Street hasn't been quite the same ever since - and I've been catching a veritable plethora of programs that I've written entries about here, but had never had the opportunity to see before, catching great shows like Brini Maxwell, pictured, and Little Britain, not to mention that I've been able to see an array of queer films. Tonight I watched Madame Sata, a Brazillian historical feature about a drag cabaret performer in the 1930's that killed a man filled with homophobic hatred for her. It was actually something of a disappointment. I also watched a Japanese film called Hush!, pictured, about a mentally unstable woman who asks this gay guy to father her child. The dynamics surrounding families of choice are quite often interesting enough, and most definitely so in another culture. Gay film director Ryosuke Hashiguchi delivered something that seemed more like a documentary at times than a fictional screenplay about a gay couple living together who are forced to question the issue of family in mapping a life for themselves, while defending their choices. A good film with real characters living real lives with their own very real flaws.� [Date: 10-Jul-05 ]

Current views Tivo recently arrived at our house, the same time as one of the housemates decided to expand our lives with a full-on premium cable package. Needless to say life on Haight Street hasn't been quite the same ever since - and I've been catching a veritable plethora of programs that I've written entries about here, but had never had the opportunity to see before, catching great shows like Brini Maxwell, pictured, and Little Britain, not to mention that I've been able to see an array of queer films. Tonight I watched Madame Sata, a Brazillian historical feature about a drag cabaret performer in the 1930's that killed a man filled with homophobic hatred for her. It was actually something of a disappointment. I also watched a Japanese film called Hush!, pictured, about a mentally unstable woman who asks this gay guy to father her child. The dynamics surrounding families of choice are quite often interesting enough, and most definitely so in another culture. Gay film director Ryosuke Hashiguchi delivered something that seemed more like a documentary at times than a fictional screenplay about a gay couple living together who are forced to question the issue of family in mapping a life for themselves, while defending their choices. A good film with real characters living real lives with their own very real flaws.� [Date: 10-Jul-05 ]

Right wing terrorism here at home Here's some interesting and rather scary terrorist news. In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by antigovernment militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

The Emmy nominations are so gay! The Emmy nominations have been announced in and I can't help but wonder if they could be any queerer. Will & Grace racked up 15 freakin' nominations, and gay creator Marc Cherry's Desperate Housewives did the same, pictured left. While Debra Messing didn't get a nomination this year, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally did - and Messing was most likely denied because Housewives was also running amuck: Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman were nominated - while Eva Longoria was not. And there were nominations for Queer Day favorite Nip/Tuck too, as well as The L Word, Six Feet Under, Lackawanna Blues...� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Gay pride returns to Montgomery Alabama: Montgomery will have its first gay pride festival in years this weekend. The Montgomery Gay and Lesbian Association, which was formed last fall, is hosting the festival along with Equality Alabama.� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Asexuality: A fourth valid orientation? Xendara, 22, has never been sexually attracted to anyone. The Albany, New York, college student might have felt, and almost certainly would have been told by shrinks as well as society, that there was something wrong with her and that she was alone. But thanks to the Internet and bolstered by a growing body of scientific research, Xendara and others like her are becoming increasingly visible as a community. They call themselves asexuals, and they insist that theirs is a valid, fourth orientation, after straight, bisexual and gay. Theres nothing wrong, they say; its how they were born. And as powerful as the sex drive is for many people, theyre just not interested.� [Date: 11-Jul-05 ]

Queer activists in Perth attacked by police 150 student and queer rights activists rallied at the end of the national student Queer Collaborations Conference held all last week at the University of Western Australia in Perth. While attempting to march peacefully around Murray St Mall, the protesters were attacked by Western Australia police without warning. Multiple reports of police violence were experienced by protestors and supportive witnesses. Four men were taken into custody and one woman was also arrested. � [Date: 11-Jul-05 ]

Right wing terrorism here at home Here's some interesting and rather scary terrorist news. In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by antigovernment militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

The Emmy nominations are so gay! The Emmy nominations have been announced in and I can't help but wonder if they could be any queerer. Will & Grace racked up 15 freakin' nominations, and gay creator Marc Cherry's Desperate Housewives did the same, pictured left. While Debra Messing didn't get a nomination this year, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally did - and Messing was most likely denied because Housewives was also running amuck: Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman were nominated - while Eva Longoria was not. And there were nominations for Queer Day favorite Nip/Tuck too, as well as The L Word, Six Feet Under, Lackawanna Blues...� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Gay pride returns to Montgomery Alabama: Montgomery will have its first gay pride festival in years this weekend. The Montgomery Gay and Lesbian Association, which was formed last fall, is hosting the festival along with Equality Alabama.� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Right wing terrorism here at home Here's some interesting and rather scary terrorist news. In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by antigovernment militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

Right wing terrorism here at home Here's some interesting and rather scary terrorist news. In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by antigovernment militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

The Emmy nominations are so gay! The Emmy nominations have been announced in and I can't help but wonder if they could be any queerer. Will & Grace racked up 15 freakin' nominations, and gay creator Marc Cherry's Desperate Housewives did the same, pictured left. While Debra Messing didn't get a nomination this year, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally did - and Messing was most likely denied because Housewives was also running amuck: Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman were nominated - while Eva Longoria was not. And there were nominations for Queer Day favorite Nip/Tuck too, as well as The L Word, Six Feet Under, Lackawanna Blues...� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Gay pride returns to Montgomery Alabama: Montgomery will have its first gay pride festival in years this weekend. The Montgomery Gay and Lesbian Association, which was formed last fall, is hosting the festival along with Equality Alabama.� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

DC Mayor Williams opposes gay affairs office legislation Washington D.C.: Although he created a gay affairs office in his administration and gave it cabinet-level status, Mayor Anthony Williams is opposing legislation that would make it permanent.� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Dykes on Bikes federal patent rejected for being scandalous Vic Germany thought registering a federal trademark for "Dykes on Bikes" wouldn't be a problem. The internationally known San Francisco nonprofit lesbian motorcycle group has been leading the Gay Pride parade for almost 30 years. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, however, has rejected the application twice on the grounds that "dyke" is vulgar, offensive and "scandalous." There's even talk here about protecting the public. Germany, and Queer Day, think the ruling is ridiculous. "We self-identify as dykes on bikes," says Germany. "To us, (the government's objection) is completely absurd." � [Date: 15-Jul-05 ]

Governor Lingle vetoes two queer rights laws Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle vetoed two bills, HB 1450 and HB 1715, that would have prohibited discrimination based on gender identity or expression and sexual orientation. Kim Coco Iwamoto, a civil rights attorney, asked that the Legislature override the vetoes, but the legislature didn't have enough votes to to do so. The quite lame Lingle said that adding such wording to the existing workplace law would "result in controversy and unwarranted lawsuits." � [Date: 15-Jul-05 ]

Gay couple's child denied baptism in Ottawa Ontario: Current and future gay parents take note: The Catholic church will not baptize the child of a same-sex couple if both parents want to sign the certificate of baptism.� [Date: 15-Jul-05 ]

The Emmy nominations are so gay! The Emmy nominations have been announced in and I can't help but wonder if they could be any queerer. Will & Grace racked up 15 freakin' nominations, and gay creator Marc Cherry's Desperate Housewives did the same, pictured left. While Debra Messing didn't get a nomination this year, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally did - and Messing was most likely denied because Housewives was also running amuck: Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman were nominated - while Eva Longoria was not. And there were nominations for Queer Day favorite Nip/Tuck too, as well as The L Word, Six Feet Under, Lackawanna Blues...� [Date: 16-Jul-05 ]

Friday, July 15, 2005

British Columbia school system accused of gay discrimination British Columbia: Murray and Peter Corren of Coquitlam accused the Ministry of Education of discriminating against gay students and the children of same-sex partners in 1999. The Human Rights Tribunal hearing has finally begun and it could change the way schools deal with sexual orientation. � [Date: 12-Jul-05 ]

Canadian gay television OUTtv to expand Canada: OUTtv, Canada's gay-focused network, has inked an agreement for wider cable and satellite distribution after months of negotiations with Shaw Communications. Shaw agreed to make the channel available on Shaw Cable and Star Choice satellite as a regular specialty channel. � [Date: 12-Jul-05 ]

Gay Nigerian sentenced to death by stoning A man in Nigeria is on death row awaiting an execution by stoning after a Sharia court found him guilty of sodomy. Philip Alston, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, called for the entire process to be reviewed immediately in a statement. "Sodomy cannot be considered one of the most serious crimes for which, under international law, the death penalty can be prescribed. The punishment is wholly disproportionate," Alston said. Sharia law seems to be a little tricky, but recently ten Nigerian women were sentenced to death by stoning for having sex out of wedlock and the sentences sparked international outcries and the sentences were all overturned on appeal. Let's hope Alston's influence is able to do the same.� [Date: 12-Jul-05 ]

Bisexual hooker Stacy X: Venus or Serena Williams? Venus and Serena Williams, the tennis world wonder siblings, are competing against one another for a part in X-Men 3, the third installment of the X-Men series. You're probably wondering about the role and what their mutant power is going to be, right? Well the part is actually that of a bisexual hooker who has the ability to seduce absolutely anyone, male or female. Film director Brett Ratner has dated Serena, so the odds are that she'll emerge victorious, unless of course it didn't go well and he has his eye on Venus. Page Six reported that the mutant hooker character known as Stacy X secretes a pheromone and that unknowns Kate Nauta and Aya Sumika are also in the running.� [Date: 13-Jul-05 ]

Right wing terrorism here at home Here's some interesting and rather scary terrorist news. In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by antigovernment militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

David Gallagher to play a gay Dorian Gray Remember hottie Ryan Phillippe of 54 and Cruel Intentions? He's been busy putting together a new version of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" that he's producing, directing and starring in - something of a stretch considering that Phillippe is 33 and the story is about an 18-year-old who never ages while a hidden painting of him does. And now it's getting worse for him with Page Six reporting that gay British filmmaker Duncan Roy has a Dorian Gray version in the works and it's going to beat Phillippe's to the big screen. And, get this, Roys Dorian will star 7th Heavens David Gallagher, 18, pictured. Roy's is very homoerotic too. The film is sexually graphic. Its not rampant ... but there is one very hot same-sex scene We just put the gay back into Dorian Gray. I can't help but think that Oscar Wilde would be proud.� [Date: 13-Jul-05 ]

Uganda criminalizes gay marriage Uganda: The Kampala parliament approved a constitutional amendment that criminalizes marriage between persons of the same sex. Human rights activists fear that Uganda's gays and lesbians may face a round of even tougher repression as a result. � [Date: 13-Jul-05 ]

Diversity committee rejects We Are Family DVD A music video that features Barney, Big Bird and SpongeBob singing a message of family and togetherness won't be playing in Florida at Broward County schools after members of a so-called diversity committee labeled it objectionable. The problem with the "We Are Family" DVD, intended to teach tolerance to preschool and elementary kids, isn't from any explicit mention of homosexuality because there isn't any, but because the people are all part of one big family, a message that, critics contend, could be construed to include pedophiles and other criminals. Radio Talk Show Host Steve Kane, a member of the so-called Diversity Committee, said, "these people are trying to mess with our kids' minds." (Thanks Dan)� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

Right wing terrorism here at home Here's some interesting and rather scary terrorist news. In the 10 years since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, roughly 60 right-wing terrorist plots have been uncovered in the United States, according to an upcoming report by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. The plots, all foiled by law enforcement, reportedly included violent plans by antigovernment militia groups, racist skinhead organizations, and Ku Klux Klan members to use various types of chemical bombs and other weapons.� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]

Gay marriage in Canada: Will the Queen save humanity? Queen Elizabeth II is being asked to intervene, in a collonial kind of way, to "save" Canada and all of humanity from same-sex marriage. David Mainse, the former 100 Huntley St. host, is leading a letter-writing campaign urging Her Majesty to refuse to grant royal assent once the bill is passed by the Canadian Parliament. The melodramatic factor at least adds some humor to it all: "Millions have nowhere else to turn but you...Please help humanity everywhere to begin a reversal of this morally and socially destructive trend..."� [Date: 14-Jul-05 ]